Type: Homicide – Page 67 – Disability Day of Mourning

Wendy Blackstone

Photo of Wendy Blackstone, a middle-aged woman with fair skin and shoulder-length light-brown hair cut in a bob, wearing a blue sweater; she is leaning down towards her large gray-and-brown dog. Name: Wendy Blackstone.
Died: March 16, 2015.
Age at death: 49.
Cause of death: Smoke inhalation.
Location: Studio City, California, USA.
Disability: Deaf, visually impaired.

Details:
Wendy was found in her garage in what seemed to be set up to look like a double suicide with her sister. She and two of her three dogs were found dead of smoke inhalation in a burning garage. Upon investigation, the suicide note that Wendy was supposed to have written was in her sister’s handwriting. Eventually it became clear that her sister had killed Wendy because she was frustrated at having to care for her; she had forged the suicide note, and then lit the fire herself.

Case status:
Jill Blackstone (Sister); pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to 8 years.

Source:
TV ProducerJill Blackstone Sentenced To 8 Years For Death Of Her Sister
Producer Jill Blackstone arrives in a wheelchair for court appearance
TV Producer To Be Tried For Disabled Sister’s Murder
Contents of ‘suicide’ notes revealed as judge orders ex-‘Jerry Springer’ producer to answer murder, animal cruelty charges – NY Daily News
TV Producer Ordered to Stand Trial for Allegedly Killing Disabled Sister
Hollywood producer suspected of murdering her sister in failed suicide pact was drowning in $1.4million debt, owed her sibling $122,000, is about to lose her home and filed for bankruptcy
TV producer arrested in death of deaf sister in California
Ex-Jerry Springer producer ‘killed deaf sister out of frustration’
TV producer denies murder and animal cruelty charges in deaf sister’s death, attorney says
TV Producer’s Arraignment Postponed in Sister’s Mysterious 2015 Death
TV producer won’t enter plea in sister’s Studio City death for another week
Former ‘Jerry Springer’ producer charged with killing deaf, blind sister in 2015

Rachele Tyburski

Photo of Rachele Tyburski, a young woman with straight brown hair and pale skin. She is smiling slightly and wearing silver earrings. Name: Rachele Tyburski.
Died: March 15, 2015.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Lakewood, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Bipolar disorder.

Details:
Rachele was suffocated to death by her mother; then her sister took her body and dumped it in a field.

She had a four-year-old son.

Case status:
Janet Tyburski (Mother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 19 years to life.
Hannah Tyburski (Sister), pleaded guilty to abuse of a corpse, $750 fine and suspended 90-day jail sentence.

Source:
Where Are Janet Tyburski and Hannah Tyburski Now?
Shelly Tyburski’s Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Shelly Tyburski?
Body found in North Ridgeville identified as Lakewood woman Rachele Tyburski
Rachele Tyburski’s grandmother describes slain woman as sweet but prone to fits of violence
Mom accused of murder wants plea deal; prosecution says old deal gone
Ohio Mom Who Killed Adult Daughter and Dumped Her Body in Field Gets 19 Years to Life

Anthony Tomaselli

Name: Anthony Joseph “Tony” Tomaselli.
Died: March 6, 2015.
Age at death: 85.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Palm Harbor, Florida, USA.
Disability: Cancer, dementia, heart disease.

Details:
Tony’s two daughters decided to kill him. They say that it was because he didn’t want to go to a nursing home. They fed him sleeping pills and alcohol, but he survived this; so they suffocated him by stuffing a rag down his throat.

Tony was a retired barber who liked to watch Wheel of Fortune and the sunset. He said his prayers every night. His favorite cocktail was vodka and Diet Coke.

Case status:
Mary-Beth Tomaselli (Daughter), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 15 years.
Linda Roberts (Daughter), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 20 years.

Source:
‘Like Arsenic and Old Lace’: Sisters in Their 60s Hid Secret of Dad’s Murder — Until They Slept with Same Man
Florida Man Dated 2 Sisters Who Killed Their Father and He Decided to Turn Them In
Two Sisters Allegedly Killed Their Father And Hid It For Years Before Confessing To A Man They Were Both Sleeping With
FL Sheriff: Sisters killed father, committed “perfect murder,” but were caught 4 years later
Sisters arrested, accused of killing father four years ago in what sheriff calls the ‘perfect murder’
Sisters charged with murdering their father after one confesses to their shared lover
Sisters charged after they ‘euthanized’ elderly father, police say
Pinellas sheriff: Sisters said they ‘euthanized’ elderly father
Two sisters arrested, admitted to killing 85-year-old father in Pinellas County in 2015
Daughters Killed Father After Failed Euthanasia, Busted By Man Both Slept With
Two sisters killed their father. They got caught after sleeping with same man, sheriff says.
Florida sisters arrested for killing cancer-stricken father in 2015
Sisters Accused Of Dad’s Murder Nearly Committed ‘Perfect Crime’
Anthony Joseph TOMASELLI Obituary
Roberts Affidavit | Public Sphere | Common Law

Gertrudes Hollis

Name: Gertrudes “Diana” Hollis.
Died: February 22, 2015.
Age at death: 74.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: Oceanside, California, USA.
Disability: Mobility impaired due to car accident.

Details:
Diana burned to death in an arson fire set by her husband.

Case status:
Andrew Hollis (Husband), convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Man who set house on fire, killing disabled wife sentenced
Life in Prison for Oceanside Man Who Killed Disabled Wife by Torching Home
Oceanside man sentenced to life for setting fire to home, killing wife

Aja Dasa

Photo: A young man in a black-and-red hooded jacket; he has fair skin and bown hair and is looking off to the side and smiling awkwardly. Name: Aja Dasa.
Died: February 11, 2015.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Aja was allegedly stabbed to death by his brother.

He was a fan of Doctor Who and Star Trek and wanted to study electrical and mechanical engineering in college.

Case status:
Amerendra Dasa (Brother), charged with murder, ruled incompetent to stand trial and hospitalized to restore competence. Died in jail in 2017.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Aja Dasa
Bond denied for Spartanburg man charged in teen brother’s stabbing death
Spartanburg District 7 mourning death of slain student
Aja Prema Dasa
Funeral fund for Aja Dasa
Mother struggling with death of her son by his brother
Man accused of killing his brother dies in Spartanburg jail
Inmate care scrutinized after another jail suicide

Iblah Pilo

No Photo Name: Iblah (Ibrahim) Pilo.
Died: January 16, 2015.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Missing, presumed dead.
Location: Chimtanda village, Malawi.
Disability: Albinism.

Details:
Iblah’s mother was worried that he would be kidnapped and sold for his body parts, but her husband told her to stay with him, saying that he would protect the little boy.

Days later, Iblah’s mother woke in the night to hear him screaming; he was being kidnapped. She was unable to save him.

Iblah’s body was never found, but it is likely that he was indeed sold for his body parts, which are used in ritual magic. Police arrested his father and two other men.

Case status:
Iblah’s father and two others were charged with kidnapping and burglary, but released due to insufficient evidence.

Source:
Malawi: Killing spree of people with albinism fuelled by ritual practices and policing failures
Prejudice against people with albinism in Malawi

Brenda Davidson

Photo of Brenda Davidson, an older woman with pale skin and white hair, in a white dress, petting a brown-and-white dog. Name: Brenda Davidson.
Died: January 6, 2015 (Body found).
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Homicidal violence.
Location: Alvor, Portimão, Algarve, Portugal.
Disability: Cancer.

Details:
Brenda’s boyfriend killed her and then buried her body; she was found two months later.

Brenda had two dogs, a mutt and a Labrador mix, whom she called “her babies”.

Case status:
Nigel Jackson (Boyfriend), convicted of murder, desecration of a body, larceny, IT and telecommunications fraud, and misuse of a credit card; sentenced to 25 years.

Source:
Son of British woman buried in villa garden speaks after mother’s partner is found guilty of her murder
Former Gravesend minicab driver ‘admits burying partner under patio but denies murder’
Funeral of British expat buried in villa garden to be held in Algarve

Susan Winters

Name: Susan Winters.
Died: January 3, 2015.
Age at death: 48.
Cause of death: Poisoning.
Location: Boulder City, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Depression.

Details:
Susan’s death from poisoning with painkillers and antifreeze was initially thought to be a suicide. But her husband–a psychiatrist–admitted to poisoning her and trying to stage a suicide.

Susan was a lawyer, and later became a judge. She loved animals, Elvis, reading, and running marathons.

Case status:
Gregory Dennis (Husband), convicted of involuntary manslaughter; sentenced to 3-10 years.

Source:
Pandemic delays murder trial for Henderson psychologist
Murder or suicide? Unsealed documents reveal new evidence in doctor’s wife death
Did a Boulder City psychologist murder his wife, or was it a suicide?
Susan Winters case: coroner changes cause from suicide to undetermined

Alexandra, Maxim, and Mikhail Kordyukova

Photo of Misha Kordyukova, a baby with fair skin and short blond hair, photographed against a background of water. — Misha Kordyukova

Gravestone of Sasha and Maxim Kordyukova. Their names are written in Cyrillic characters, and above each name is a dim black-and-white image of a young child. The bottom of the photograph is torn off so that the dates of birth and death cannot be seen. — Gravestone of Sasha and Maxim Kordyukova

Name: Alexandra “Sasha” Kordyukova.
Name: Maxim Kordyukova.
Name: Mikhail “Misha” Kordyukova.

Died: Unknown; mother arrested in 2015.
Age at death: All were under 3.
Cause of death: Warfarin poisoning.
Location: Ekaterinburg, Russia.
Disability: Atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome.

Details:
Sasha, Maxim, and Misha died before their brother Ilya was taken to the hospital, gravely sick from warfarin poisoning. Ilya survived, but the attempted murder tipped off police that his siblings’ deaths might not have been accidental. After exhumation and autopsy, it was determined that Maxim and Misha had both died from warfarin poisoning. Their sister Sasha’s autopsy was inconclusive, but like them, she died young and suddenly.

Their mother, when arrested, claimed she had tried to cure her children, but that it was too difficult; so she wanted to kill them and start a new family with healthy children.

Ilya, who recovered from the poisoning, is now living with his father.

Case status:
Elena Kordyukova (Mother), convicted, sentenced to 18 years.

Source:
Mum accused of killing her two sick kids with rat poison
Russian murdered sons with genetic condition with Warfarin
Evil mum jailed for killing two of her disabled sons with ‘rat poison’

Alex Robinson

Photo of a thin boy sitting on a park bench, his shoes off and his feet drawn up onto the bench. He is wearing a baseball cap and drinking from a bottle of juice. Name: Alex Robinson.
Died: December 23, 2014.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Lincoln, England, UK.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Alex hated water, hated getting his face wet, and would only bathe while standing. His grandfather put him in the bathtub and held him underwater until he drowned.

Alex was fond of trains and wind turbines. He was particularly fascinated when his school visited a power plant, and asked such insightful questions that he amazed his teachers.

Case status:
Stewart Greene (Grandfather), convicted of murder, sentenced to 22 years in prison.

Source:
Mum shares poignant memories of murdered son Alex Robinson six years on
Autism Memorial: Alex Robinson
Alex Robinson murder trial: Grandfather drowned autistic grandson, 9, court told
“Vengeful” man drowns autistic grandson
Death of young boy murdered by grandfather ‘could not have been predicted or prevented’
Family hits out after review into murder of schoolboy by his granddad